NPR News: 09-26-2025 1PM EDT

Summary

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NPR News Now – 09-26-2025 1PM EDT

Overview

This concise episode delivers the latest global headlines as of 1PM EDT, September 26, 2025. The report covers major political and economic developments in the U.S., Middle East, and Canada, focusing on ongoing legal actions involving high-profile American figures, shifting diplomatic postures on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, bold new U.S. pharmaceutical tariffs, a major Canadian postal strike, and domestic National Guard deployments.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Indictment of Former FBI Director James Comey

• President Trump reacts to the new indictment of former FBI Director James Comey for allegedly lying to Congress five years ago, an action pursued by Trump’s recently appointed interim U.S. attorney in Virginia.
• Tamara Keith (NPR White House Correspondent) reports on Trump’s continuing pressure on the Justice Department to prosecute political opponents.
• James Comey, via his spokesperson, maintains his innocence and anticipates exoneration at trial.

Notable Quotes:

• [00:54] Donald Trump: “It’s about justice, really. It’s not revenge, it’s about justice. You know, it’s also about the fact that you can’t let this go on. They are sick, radical left people and they can’t get away with it. And Comey, Comey was one of the people. He wasn’t the biggest, but he’s a dirty cop.”
• [01:13] Tamara Keith: “Comey says he is innocent and he looks forward to proving it at trial.”

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2. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu Addresses the UN

• Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu faces a mixed reception at the UN General Assembly as dozens of diplomats walk out in protest before his address. He steadfastly rebuffs international criticism of Israel’s continuing military offensive in Gaza and directs a message of solidarity to hostages held by Hamas.

Notable Quote:

• [01:39] Benjamin Netanyahu: “Our brave heroes… We have not forgotten you, not even for a second. The people of Israel are with you. We will not falter and we will not rest until we bring all of you home.”

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3. US Diplomacy and the Palestinian State

• President Trump is set to meet Netanyahu soon, but has aligned with Arab leaders in barring Israel from annexing the occupied West Bank. Several Western nations have formally recognized a Palestinian state, spotlighting growing divergence from historical US-Israel policy.

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4. Trump Announces 100% Tariffs on Brand Name Drugs

• Sidney Lupkin (NPR health reporter) details President Trump’s bold new 100% tariff on imported brand-name pharmaceuticals effective October 1st, unless companies are building manufacturing capacity in the US. These tariffs exclude generic drugs, which make up about 90% of US prescriptions.
• The move is seen as incentivizing domestic drug production; several manufacturers have already announced US factory plans.

Key Segment:

• [02:30-03:06] Sidney Lupkin: Emphasizes uncertainty about consumer impact but notes clear exclusions and exceptions for manufacturers investing in the US.

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5. Stock Market Update

• [03:06, 04:50] The Dow is up over 340 points (three-quarters of a percent), with gains also reflected in the S&P (+33) and NASDAQ (+58) as of this hour.

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6. National Guard Deployment to Memphis

• Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announces the deployment method for National Guard troops to Memphis, emphasizing they will be Tennessee-based, deputized by US Marshals, and unarmed unless requested by local police. The move contrasts with other recent National Guard deployments to Democratic-led cities.
• Political tensions surface as critics allege that Trump’s use of military resources is targeting Democratic-strongholds.

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7. Canada’s Postal Service Strike

• Dan Karpenchuk (NPR Canadian Correspondent) reports on a nationwide postal strike following sweeping federal changes, including closures and ending door-to-door delivery service.
• The government deems the situation an “existential crisis,” citing $10 million in daily losses and a move toward community mailbox expansion.

Notable Quote:

• [04:13] Dan Karpenchuk: “Mail and parcel delivery have slowed. It is losing about $10 million a day, and repeated government bailouts are not the Solution…. the moratorium on expanding the use of community mailboxes will soon end.”

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Memorable Moments & Quotes

• [00:54] Donald Trump: “It’s about justice, really. It’s not revenge, it’s about justice.”
• [01:39] Benjamin Netanyahu: “We will not falter and we will not rest until we bring all of you home.”
• [02:30] Sidney Lupkin: “It’s unclear how broadly the tariff will affect consumers… and he’s making an exception for companies that are expanding manufacturing in the U.S.”
• [04:13] Dan Karpenchuk: “Mail and parcel delivery have slowed. It is losing about $10 million a day, and repeated government bailouts are not the Solution.”

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Timeline of Key Segments

• 00:18 – 01:13: Trump, Comey indictment, and Trump’s remarks ([Trump & Tamara Keith])
• 01:22 – 02:00: Netanyahu at UN, hostages ([Netanyahu quote])
• 02:00 – 02:30: US & Israel/Palestine policy shift; Western allies recognize Palestine
• 02:30 – 03:06: Drug tariff announcement ([Sidney Lupkin])
• 03:06, 04:50: Stock market update
• 03:25 – 04:13: National Guard in Memphis
• 04:13 – 04:50: Canadian postal strike ([Dan Karpenchuk])

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Summary

This episode captures fast-moving political, diplomatic, and economic developments. It foregrounds President Trump’s intensified pursuit of former officials, Israel’s ongoing conflict with Gaza and shifting global diplomacy, significant domestic policy on pharmaceuticals, unrest over National Guard deployments, and international labor actions with major implications for mail service in Canada. The reporting is direct, balanced, and urgent—a snapshot of major news as it unfolds.

Transcript

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[Lakshmi Singh]

Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. President Trump says he hopes more of his political enemies will be indicted. NPR's Tamara Keith reports. This comes after Trump's brand new handpicked interim U.S. attorney in Virginia returned an indictment against one of Trump's more outspoken critics, former FBI Director James Comey.

[Tamara Keith]

Comey was indicted on two counts related to allegedly lying to Congress in testimony five years ago after Trump demanded that the Justice Department prosecute him. Trump says he expects more of the people who made his life miserable over the last eight years to be prosecuted.

[Donald Trump]

It's about justice, really. It's not revenge, it's about justice. You know, it's also about the fact that you can't let this go on. They are sick, radical left people and they can't get away with it. And Comey, Comey was one of the people. He wasn't the biggest, but he's a dirty cop.

[Tamara Keith]

Comey says he is innocent and he looks forward to proving it at trial. Tamara Keith, NPR News, the White House.

[Lakshmi Singh]

Mixed reception for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the UN General assembly this morning. Before his speech, dozens of diplomats walked out. Netanyahu rejected international condemnations of the Israeli military's ongoing offensive in Gaza, and he had a message for hostages still being held by Hamas.

[Benjamin Netanyahu]

Our brave heroes. This is Prime Minister Netanyahu speaking to you live from the United Nations. We have not forgotten you, not even for a second. The people of Israel are with you. We will not falter and we will not rest until we bring all of you home.

[Lakshmi Singh]

Netanyahu is due to meet President Trump Monday. Yesterday, Trump sided with Arab leaders in vowing not to allow Israel to annex the occupied West Bank. Also in a departure from Israel and the U.S. several Western allies recently formally recognized a Palestinian state. President Trump says he will impose a 100% tariff on brand name pharmaceutical imports starting October 1st. That is, unless companies are are in the process of building factories to make the medicines in the U.S. here's NPR's Sidney Lupkin.

[Sidney Lupkin]

The president has been talking about imposing tariffs on drug companies for months, mentioning different percentages and dates. He took to Truth Social Thursday to post that the tariffs will begin next month. It's unclear how broadly the tariff will affect consumers. They won't apply to generics. About 90% of prescriptions filled in the US only brand name drugs. And he's making an exception for companies that are expanding manufacturing in the U.S. many brand name drug makers have announced new U.S. factories in recent months, which could exempt them from the tariff. Sidney Lupkin, NPR News.

[Lakshmi Singh]

U.S. stocks are trading higher this hour. The Dow is now up 340 points, or roughly three quarters of a percent. This is NPR News. Tennessee residents are learning that the plan to deploy National Guard troops to Memphis will be very different from President Trump's deployment of the service members to Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles in recent months. Today, the state's Republican governor, Bill Lee, said the Guard members will be from Tennessee. They'll be deputized by the U.S. marshals Service and help fight crime. Lee says they will not be armed unless asked by local law enforcement and will not make arrests. President Trump has framed the deployments as anti crime, but critics argue Trump is unlawfully targeting Democratic led cities. The union for Canada's Postal Service has declared an immediate nationwide strike. Dan Karpenchuk reports. It comes just hours after the federal government announced sweeping changes, including the closing of some post offices and the eventual end of door to door delivery in that country.

[Dan Karpenschak]

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers says all of its members are walking off the job in response to Ottawa's attack on the postal and its workers. Canada Post has been losing money and federal procurement Minister Joel Lightbound says big changes are needed. He says the corporation is facing an existential crisis. Mail and parcel delivery have slowed. It is losing about $10 million a day, and repeated government bailouts are not the Solution. Lightbound says 75% of Canadian households don't have door to door delivery now. And he adds that the moratorium on expanding the use of community mailboxes will soon end. For NPR News, I'm Dan Karpenschak in Toronto.

[Lakshmi Singh]

The Dow has gained more than 300 points, the S&P is up 33 points, and the NASDAQ is now climbed 58. It's NPR.

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